Nets secure 8th seed thanks to win, Pacers loss

The Indiana Pacers had their playoff hopes dashed in the regular season finale, falling to the Memphis Grizzlies 95-83.  

With the Pacers loss, the Brooklyn Nets clinched the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and will face the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.  

The Nets almost made prophets of former teammate Paul Pierce. Earlier this week, Washington Wizard forward Pierce took a shot at his old team, saying they would have folded up last season if he and Kevin Garnett hadn't have been there.

On Wednesday night, they nearly folded up at home against the woeful Orlando Magic, trailing by as much as 12 in the third quarter. 

But Brooklyn bounced back late, led by Bojan Bogdanovic's career-high 28 points, to win 101-88. The Nets outscored Orlando 45-21 in the final 18 minutes. 

The Nets then had to wait for the Pacers to take the court against the Grizzlies.

Marc Gasol posted a career-high 33 points, rounding out his stat line with 13 rebounds and two steals. Zach Randolph racked up 18 points and nine rebounds, and Jeff Green added 14 points to knock the Pacers out of playoff contention. 

Indiana came out firing with all the fervor expected of a team desperate to make it into postseason. The Pacers owned the first quarter lead, with the Grizzlies on a steady chase to close the score deficit. 

Then halfway into the second quarter, the tides turned. Memphis' Jordan Adams, and Kosta Koufos hit shots that tipped the Grizzlies ahead of the Pacers, and helped Memphis earn a lead that it would hold until the end of the game.  

Indiana's C.J. Miles led his team with 22 points, and George Hill would finish the game with 20 points, five rebounds, and six assists. Rodney Stuckey would add 11 points for the Pacers, but could not combat the dismal shooting (41-percent from the field) that would ultimately be their downfall.     

The Nets will now face the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.